LAKE FOREST, Cali. — There is something fascinating about seeing wildlife roaming freely in nature’s open spaces. One can’t help but to admire their existence and instincts. Although, a personal encounter with such animals can sometimes lead to an intense situation.
In the case of two mountain bikers on a trail in Lake Forest, California, they came face-to-face with a mountain lion earlier this month.
The encounter, all captured on video, shows the big cat jumping out from some bushes that the bikers first spotted the lion hiding in.
The video shows the two bikers backing away slowly and making loud noises — as the cougar slowly begins to stalk them along the trail for several minutes.
Wildlife experts say the best thing individuals can do if they encounter a mountain lion is to stay calm, as well as make themselves appear big and intimidating.
Of course, that’s easier said than done — as is resisting the urge to run; which wildlife officials warn people absolutely not to do during an encounter with a mountain lion.
By those standards, it would appear that the pair did everything right to avoid being attacked.
The video shows the cougar following the pair for a short distance before making a lunge at them, but it ultimately ends up running off.
The bikers were able to evade danger and escaped the encounter unharmed, the video shows.
According to local outlet KABC, in Los Angeles, the Nov. 2 encounter took place in Whiting Ranch, which was the same area where a mountain biker was killed by a cougar back in 2004.
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